Organic control starts with physically removing any pests you find. When digging, look out for the fat, creamy coloured leatherjacket and squash it. Check plants for grey mould or powdery mildew and remove and burn any infected leaves or shoots. Remove aphids by hand or by spraying with a jet of water. Use an insecticidal soap to spray badly infected plants. Remove caterpillars by hand and drop into paraffin. Remove eggs laid by moths and butterflies on plants, especially cabbages.

Large slugs will not harm living plants — it is the small black and brown slugs that attack growing plants. Protect small plants with cut-off plastic bottles pushed into the ground. Surround larger plants with lime or soot, which slugs don’t like. Collect slugs and snails at night, and drop into paraffin.

In late summer and autumn millipedes tunnel into potatoes and other root crops. A healthy soil with deep dug beds and plenty of manure will help to keep them at bay. During the day cutworms eat through the base of a plant and cut it off. Weed to reduce the risk of infestation and hoe around the plant searching for the grubs, as they live just below the soil. Drown in paraffin. Wireworms will be attracted by a potato, carrot or split cabbage stalk pushed into the ground. Fix on the end of a stick, then periodically remove the stick and bait and destroy the worms.

Sticky traps can be used to catch flea beetles and whitefly. Coat one side of a small piece of wood with heavy grease. Pass the board, grease side down, just over the top of infested plants. The flea beetles will jump up and stick to it. Hang up a grease-coated piece of yellow card to trap whitefly.

Chemical Control

If you have a major pest or disease problem you may have to use chemicals. Choose the less toxic plant-based insecticides such as insecticidal soap, pyrethrum, derris, quassia and copper fungicide and follow the manufacturer’s instructions closely. Spray on a windless evening when pollinating insects are no longer around.

Tips on maintaining a healthy garden

o Improve your soil, and continue to dig and feed it well. A healthy soil will grow disease- resistant plants.

o Crop rotation helps to prevent the build-up of some soil-hased pests and diseases.